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A Quantum Science Initiative at Harvard

November 14, 2018

A panoramic shot of the Advanced Cold Molecule Electron EDM, a device in the laboratory of Silsbee professor of physics John Doyle that is designed to make measurements of the quantum physical behavior of electrons so precise that the results could change understanding of the Standard Model of quantum physics. [Photograph courtesy of John Doyle/Harvard Research Center for Quantum Optics.]

Quantum science—the physics and engineering of the world at sub-microscopic scales—got a boost today as Harvard formally announced an initiative that will combine basic and applied research into the realm of the very small, as well as foster collaborations with partners from government, industry, and peer institutions. Harvard president Lawrence S. Bacow, in a University announcement, declared: “The diversity of expertise among our faculty creates a nutrient-rich environment in which this emerging discipline can flourish, and I am excited to see the ways in which collaboration with other partners speeds progress.”

Led by its co-directors—Silsbee professor of physics John Doyle, Tarr-Coyne professor of applied physics and of electrical engineering Evelyn Hu, and Leverett professor of physics Mikhail Lukin—the Harvard Quantum Initiative (HQI) will blend basic-science exploration with “solution-driven” quantum engineering...